Assessing Phytoremediation Potential of Daucus carota (Carrot) in Artificially Lead-Contaminated Soil

Authors

  • Lady Margarette G. Bitavarra
  • Edrieile Alison C. Alzate
  • Frances Lian L. Esguerra

Keywords:

phytoremediation, contaminated soil

Abstract

For the past years, industrial development demanded a sacrifice of the great land mass. The researchers desired to rehabilitate the wasted land. With a high level of lead, phytoremediation becomes an alternate technology in removing substances in soil. Testing the phytoremediation potential of D. carotain contaminated soil was the main objective of this study. The researchers collected soil samples from the dumpsite in Brgy. Tapia, City of General Trias, Cavite. They prepared three set-ups in four weeks’ time: planted, extracted, decomposed D. carota. The soils were placedunder the same condition of sunlight and amount of water. The level of acidity of the soil was measuredthrough the pH soil tester. Data wereanalysedusing two-tailed t-test.On the first set-up, with the planted D. carotain the contaminated soil, the average soil acidity was 6.35; onthe second set-up, with the extracted D. carota, 6.20; and on the third set-up, with the decomposed D. carota, 6.30. Using the t-distribution, (=0.20, N=4, df=3, the following data were revealed: MD=1.425, SD=1.68, t=1.70 (first set-up); MD= 1.350, SD= 1.58, t=1.71 (second set-up); and MD=1.375, SD=1.61, t=1.71(third set-up). All the values were higherthan tcritical = 1.638 and within the rejection region, therefore, all the null hypotheses were rejected. The study showed that D. carota was proven to be effective in phytoremediation of lead contaminated soil. The most effective way was through plthe anting of D. carota, because it is a living specie which makes it a better hyper accumulator of pollutants from the soil.

Published

2018-05-18